The country’s finest chef + brewer pairing event comes to town on July 16th for the 4th annual pairing festival. After three years of chilly April showers, BrüFrou takes on summer with a who’s who of chefs, brewers, mixologists and musicians! Continuously innovating the craft beer & culinary event scene, BrüFrou expands to BrüFrouFEST (BFF) with two ticket levels, 50% more pairings, specialty tents and live music. The event will take place on the redesigned Tivoli lawn in the heart of downtown Denver.

The VIP package amplifies classic BrüFrou– extra special culinary and brewed pairings under the VIP tent. Perfect for the foodies among us. Samples from all 125 partners.

The GA entry provides craft beer + food fans a starting kit- 8 one-bite pairings and a show for $40 with the ability to add-on as you go. Samples from 80 partners.

Both experiences offer connections with top chefs, master brewers, award-winning mixologists plus live music; specialty tents featuring bacon, cheese and chocolate pairings; beer cocktails from some of Colorado’s best craft cocktail bars and a vendor marketplace, too! Adding some flavor to the day, national touring artists including: The Mowgli’s, Zach Deputy and Horseshoes & Hand Grenades will bring music from Coast to Coast with Bossa Nova, Gypsy Jazz, Bluegrass, Island-infused Drum & Bass and Sunny West Coast Indie-Rock.

Craft beer, food and music lovers over 21 are invited to join the fun. Come toss your favorite festival blanket, relax with your first pairings as you peruse the menu of more than 80 delectable offerings. Play your favorite lawn games, dance with the bands, stroll through the marketplace in between bites and beer until you are fat & happy. Play with us on July 16th at BrüFrouFEST 2017.

How we pair partners:
Breweries and eateries are paired based on compatible flavor profiles, style and brand—we look for mutuality & contrasts. Sometimes partners have previously collaborated or are seeking new partners for an infusion of creativity; sometimes it’s
pairing French cuisine with French farmhouse beers. Sometimes, breweries are
looking for new tap placements while eateries are seeking the latest beer styles to
complement their cuisine. No matter the specific reason, the goal is to bring Colorado
communities—brewers, chefs and diners—together.

Music Line-up:
• The Mowgli’s: With hits including “San Francisco” & “I’m Good,” they are known for their laid-back mix of sunny West Coast pop, garage rock & 60’s Laurel Canyon folk sound.
• Zach Deputy: A multi-instrumentalist & songwriter based in Savannah, GA, Zach is best known for his live looping shows. He describes his style as “island-infused drum n’ bass gospel ninja soul.”
• Horseshoes & Hand Grenades: While strongly rooted in bluegrass, old-time, and folk music, the five Wisconsinites that make up the band, produce a sound that will make your toes tap from sundown to sunrise.
• Banshee Tree: Originally from upstate New York, the group plays a mix of standards like “On the Sunny Side of the Street” and mellifluously joyful originals like “Make it Rain” with a surprisingly original and enticing mix of gypsy jazz, folk pop and swing.
• Flatirons Jazz Quintet: From Bop to Bossa Nova to Funk to Mainstream, the jazz
quintet plays a wide cross section of favorite standards & original compositions.

After undergoing a major remodel of the restaurant, brewing facilities and equipment, Wynkoop will celebrate it’s grand re-opening this Friday, April 22 with a showcase of the full range of updates and a host of new seasonal brews in rotation. From 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. guests can enjoy a beer and tour the new brewery; the re-opening falls on the same day as the launch of the Train to the Plane and will take part in the festivities going on at the 22nd and Wynkoop DIA line launch.

In honor of the A Line, attendees can try a throwback batch of the Light Rail Organic Ale made with organic pilsner malt and a blend of New Zealand grown hops. Pints of Light Rail are $4 all day Friday; public brewery tours are free and will run every 30 minutes. In addition, attendees can taste Saison done three ways—Saison de Seigle, the kettle-soured Necessity Saison, and the Forethought Saison, a barrel-aged sour—plus the limited-run Rye-Teo Old Chap, an imperial rye stout aged in Laws Whiskey House Secale rye whiskey barrels.

“We’ve taken the best of what’s classic about the Wynkoop and added a state of the art brew house,” explains Bess Dougherty, Barrel Troll (and Lead Brewer) at Wynkoop. “The new brew house means that we have an even better ability to develop complex taste and aroma profiles in our beers. In addition, we have more capacity and are excited to be able to dig more deeply into experimental and barrel-aged beers, including high ABV selections. We’re making even better beer, a more diverse range of styles and we’re doing it all at the heart of Denver.”

About Wynkoop Brewing Company
In 1988 LoDo had no ballpark, no valet parking, no farm-to-table restaurants: just four guys who wanted to make really good beer. Those four guys were John Hickenlooper, Jerry Williams, Mark Shifler and Russell Scherer. They opened the first craft brewery in Denver on Skid Row in the century-old J. S. Brown Mercantile Building. Beer drinkers across the state braved the sketchy ghost town that was LoDo in the late 1980s for billiards and pints of Russell’s unexpected beer styles. He was one of the first professional brewers in the country to try his hand at mead-making, doppel alt, and cream stout. He was honored by the Brewers Association when he passed with the Russell Scherer Award for Innovation in Brewing, awarded each year at the Craft Brewers Conference to a brewer who knocks down doors.

Almost thirty years later, Wynkoop remains a Denver institution. We are still known for
innovative, ballsy brewers who put just about anything in the beer, including Rocky Mountain oysters, gummy bears and green chiles. It is known as the brewery that brewed a neighborhood because—without exaggeration—the Wynkoop helped spark the revitalization of LoDo. Today, our neighborhood is the heartbeat of the city, surrounded by iconic landmarks like Coors Field, Larimer Square, and the recently renovated Union Station across Wynkoop Street. We may be a bit biased, but we like to think that it all began with really good beer.

BrüFrou is the marquee craft beer & culinary pairing event of the year. Featuring 80 local brewers & chefs collaborating on 50+ unique pairings, BrüFrou [broo-froo] will excite your epicurean senses! On Saturday, April 30th, experience BrüFrou with friends & family at Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum [directions], a WWII-era hangar in the Lowry community of Denver. Full Pairing Tickets are on sale now: $65-$95 (see chart below brewery list).

The 2016 BrüFrou breweries represent Colorado adventure– from Summit & Eagle County skiing, river running on the Arkansas, to mind-bending scientific endeavors across the Front Range. Bright minds in brewing science from School of Mines, CU, CSU and entrepreneurial homebrewers are here in force.

Many of this next generation of brewers have branched out from larger organizations, growing and developing their own styles, brands and neighborhood hangouts. Embracing the past and creating the future, breweries are the modern day town hall. They are a leading indicator of revitalization and a nexus of community spirit. Where there is delicious Colorado beer and tasty eats, there are hungry, thirsty, appreciative lovers of craft and culinary to support them and the hoods they occupy.

This class of brewers is confident in their innovative approaches and collaborative efforts. Serving up dry hopped, wet hopped, red, black, tawny, extruded, stressed and nucleated beer experiences; get out there and check them out (we’ve included these photos from our own brewery adventures).

Join Gunbarrel Brewing Company for their first tapping party at Grandma’s House on Broadway in Denver, Colorado on January 24 at 4:30. Gunbarrel Brewing will be pouring a limited release of Salt Lick Gose and Rosemerry Pale Ale. Salt Lick is our interpretation of Gose (pronounced “Gose-uh”), an ancient unfiltered wheat beer from Germany. With a cloudy yellow color and refreshing lemony twang, Salt Lick is brewed traditionally with coriander seeds, and has a pleasant sharpness from the addition of salt. The finish is dry, tangy, and effervescent. Rosemerry is Gunbarrel’s signature pale ale and boasts a flowery hop character, with hints of citrus and pine and a crisp finish. Dry hopped with fresh organic rosemary, this brew evokes memories of merriment.

About Gunbarrel Brewing CompanyGunbarrel Brewing Company is a gypsy brewery based in Boulder. Crafted with passion by brewer Jamie Fox and his wife Marie, Gunbarrel Brewing Company is to be located in Boulder County, Colorado. While we seek out the perfect home for our brewery, we are gypsy brewing at a partner brewery in Denver. This relationship provides the creative freedom and facilities to brew beers that we can share with you until we have a taproom of our own.

Jamie has been brewing for the past fifteen years, and earned a Ph.D in neuroscience along the way. Marie has a background in marketing, hospitality and web development. Together, they share a passion for exploring the nuances and endless possibilities of craft beer.

We chose the name Gunbarrel for our brewery to pay homage to the rugged independent freedom of the West, and to honor the little slice of it that we call home. We look forward to pouring you a pint!

The 2nd Annual Fermentation Festival Descends Upon Denver On August 9th and 10th at Denver’s Highlands Masonic Center. Fermentation Experts from across Colorado will gather to share their knowledge with the eager ears of attendees at the 2nd Annual Fermentation Festival & Market. The event will feature unlimited tastings from craft brewers, distillers, sauerkraut makers, Kombucha brewers and much more. Education is the main goal of the organizers with home fermentation classes offered on every subject from lacto-fermented veggies to how to make sake. Nowhere else will you find this many fermentation gurus gathered at one event.

This is not your typical festival. The event is open to all ages with fun activities for kids as well. Debuting this year is a fermentation “petting zoo” where kids will be encouraged to experience fermentation with all their senses – think Halloween where grapes turn into eyeballs and spaghetti noodles act as worms. Back this year is the ever popular pickle toss, where contestants will fling, toss and throw pickles into their teammates’ mouths from varying distances for a chance to win serious bragging rights, a gallon of pickles and $50 cash. “Fermentation is fun and we want the general public to gain insight to this vast and ever expanding world. We’re talking about a process that has been around since the beginning of time and is one of the oldest forms of food preservation,” says Mike Burns, one of the festival organizers.

Guests from all walks of life will have the opportunity to eat, drink and experience fermentation at its finest. This year’s event will benefit First Descents, a non-profit who offers young adult cancer survivors and fighters a free outdoor adventure experience designed to help them climb, paddle and surf beyond their diagnosis, defy their cancer, reclaim their lives and connect with others doing the same.

According to The Bane of Yoto Author Joshua Viola: “The concept of creating a beer seemed like a natural fit amidst the crazy things we were doing in the world of Yoto. The idea originally came to me when a friend — Groovey of Groovey.TV — had a custom brew developed for his online personality. It was received well and I knew then, after a fan suggested a Yoto beer, I had to do it.” “Groovey introduced me to the wonderful people at Black Sky Brewery and the rest is history. Their talented brew master, Harry Smith, concocted the most amazing beer I’d ever tasted. Harry came up with the blueberry wheat idea after reading the book; paying tribute the protagonist’s blue skin tone.”

A release party for the The Ale of Yoto will be part of the American Craft Beer Week celebration in Denver which showcases only the finest efforts from master brewers. Early taste testers have agreed that Black Sky’s Harry Smith knocked it out of the park. The Ale of Yoto has a smooth finish with just the right hint of blueberry and is perfect for the upcoming Summer season as well as for enjoying the blockbuster novel it was inspired from.

The World Beer Cup is put on every other year by The Brewers Association, which is headquartered in Boulder, CO. The World Beer Cup is a popular event among brewers and brewing companies, as it brings together the best and brightest in the brewing industry. The 2014 World Beer Cup and Craft Brewers Conference took place in Denver, CO, and included a whopping 4,754 beers, 1,403 breweries from 58 countries and 94 styles of beer! Colorado brewers fared well at the World Beer Cup, bringing home 24 medals (10 Gold, 5 Silver, 9 Bronze).

According to The Brewers Association, “The mission of the World Beer Cup is to create greater consumer awareness around the world about the quality and diversity displayed by the various beers of the world. The World Beer Cup is dedicated to recognizing both the traditions and innovations shared by the entire brewing industry as well as those customs unique to specific countries and regions. The World Beer Cup also promotes the responsible consumption of beer as an alcohol-containing beverage and urges beer producers and distributors to encourage beer enthusiasts to savor the flavor of beer responsibly.”

We’ve visited breweries around Colorado, and will be visiting many more. Find out about the history of our featured breweries, and the brewer’s that are responsible for brewing the craft beer they provide to Colorado beer drinkers.

Colorado Homebrew SuppliersIf you’re interested in homebrewing, don’t hesitate to head over to a homebrew supply shop near you. There are many helpful homebrewers that started out just like you… looking for where to begin. Happy Brewing!

Barley Haven – Lakewood, CO: Our homebrew retail store is open 7 days a week (362 days a year) to the public, and is conveniently and centrally positioned just outside of Denver near the Front Range mountains in Lakewood, Colorado along Wadsworth Blvd.1050 South Wadsworth Blvd. Lakewood, CO 80226 | 303-936-2337

Beer at Home – Englewood & Westminster, CO: We dream of a nation of Homebrewers and Winemakers storming the gates of mediocrity and challenging the status quo. We seek to advance beer culture and fermentation knowledge. 4393 South Broadway Englewood, CO 80113 | 303 789-3676‎

Castle Rock Homebrew Supply – Castle Rock, CO: At Castle Rock Homebrew Supply, we carry all of the ingredients and equipment you need to make great beer and wine at home. If you don’t see it, let us order it. Price lists are subject to change without notice.1043 Park Street Castle Rock, CO 80109 | 303-660-2275

Do Your Brew – Westminster, CO: Providing the highest quality products & equipment at the most competitive price for the home brewing community since 2007. Denver’s only Brew on Premise site, where you can brew your own Beer or Wine. We offer a complete facility for brewing and wine making.9050 W 88th Ave Westminster, CO 80005 | 303-476-3257

Front Range Hop Company – Longmont, CO: We are a family owned and operated hop processor and wholesaler Located in Longmont Colorado. We provide a number of services both to local Hop Growers and Breweries. Our mission is to support the growth of the hop industry in Colorado by helping to facilitate farm expansion and advocating for the broader use of Local hops by local breweries.1240 Ken Pratt Blvd, Unit 9B Longmont, CO 80501 | info@frhops.com

High Hops Hop Farm & Brew Shop – Windsor, CO: High Hops has the largest selection of Phyto-Sanitary Certified hop plants for sale on the web available for shipping nationwide. These are Colorado hops, nurtured by an average of 320 days of sunshine.With our hop plants grown on-site at the foot of the Rockies and our brewing supply shop, High Hops is a home brewers paradise with everything you need to start brewing beer or wine today.6461 Hwy 392 Windsor, CO 80550 | highhops1@yahoo.com

Hops & Berries – Fort Collins, CO: Established December 2005, Hops and Berries is conveniently located in Historic Old Town Fort Collins. We are a fully stocked shop and carry everything you need to make beer, wine, mead, soda and cheese at home. We also have a full line of draft equipment and can help get your home system up and running.125 Remington Street Fort Collins, CO 80524 | 970-493-2484

iCustomLabels – Create custom beer labels for you homebrews. iCustomLabel is a top provider of custom beer labels. We have a design to suit every occasion. From baby showers and weddings to religious events or creating your own for any other type of special event, there is nothing better than using customized labels.

Juice of the Barley Homebrew Shop – Greeley, CO: Juice of the Barley is the brain child of a passionate and professional home brewer Jeremy Fusco. Jeremy has been a avid home brewer, going on 10 years. He has extensive knowledge in the home brewing process and a desire to see a growing home brewing movement in Greeley. Juice Of The Barley provides an opportunity to see growth in Greeley’s beer culture.2961 29th Street Greeley, CO 80634 | 970-515-6326

Old West Homebrew Supply – Colorado Springs, CO: You can count on us to help you make great beer, wine, and mead at home. Our fresh products and great staff will have you brewing like a pro in no time, so browse our store and shop with confidence.229 East Pikes Peak Ave Colorado Springs, CO 80903 | 719-635-2443

Quirky Homebrew – Northglenn, CO: At Quirky Homebrew we are ready and willing to help the new brewer find their way through their first recipe to working with the experienced all-grain brewer on their three tier system making a complex and unique brew.425 W 115th Ave, Unit 6 Northglenn, CO 80234 | 303-457-3555

The Brew Hut – Aurora, CO: The Brew Hut offers the most comprehensive line of home brewing and wine making supplies on the internet! Due to our large, constantly updated inventory we are unable to offer online ordering. Please give us a call to place your order from one of our friendly on-site brewmasters. Price and availability are subject to change.15120 E Hampden Ave Aurora, CO 80014 | 303-680-8898

Wine or Wort Homebrew Supply – Gypsum, CO: Wine or Wort Home Brew Supply was opened in March of 2012 to provide home brewers and wine makers in the Colorado high country a local place to buy home brewing supplies and learn more about home brewing.150 Cooley Mesa Rd Gypsum, CO 81637 | 970-524-2337

Factotum Brewhouse will be the first brewery to cater to homebrewers when it opens this fall in Denver, Colorado. Guest brewers will have the opportunity to brew their recipe on Factotum’s seven barrel system and the beer will then be served to thirsty taproom patrons. With help from headbrewer Christopher Bruns, homebrewers will learn the steps of commercial brewing from recipe creation to the brewing process to the taproom release of the beer. This concept was originally designed for serious homebrewers who wish to receive honest, unbiased feedback from the public but recreational brewers, new brewers, and small groups are also welcome to use Factotum’s services. Christopher will act as quality control and to ensure the tap lineup isn’t dominated by any one style: “If six people come in wanting to brew an IPA, they can either wait in line or decide to brew something else,” says Christopher. Six of Factotum’s eventual eight taps will pour homebrewer beers while the remaining two will pour beers made by Christopher.

Brother-and-sister team Christopher and Laura Bruns conceived of the Factotum model over dinner with their other two siblings and have since graduated from Denver’s Small Business Development Center’s business start-up class, as well as Tom Hennessy’s renowned Brewery Immersion Course at the Colorado Boy Pub & Brewery in Ridgway, Colorado. Christopher and Laura’s Midwestern, German-American upbringing has instilled in them a passion for beer and they’re mutual background in education compels them to make Factotum a school as much as it is a brewery; Factotum isn’t just a place to drink great beer but also a place to learn about beer. Located at 4735 Lipan Street in the Sunnyside neighborhood, Factotum is moving into an already established craft beer community with Stomp Them Grapes homebrew supply store two doors down, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project ½ mile away, and the upcoming Diebolt Brewing Company one mile away.

Christopher and Laura Bruns hope local beer lovers will use the close proximity to ride their bicycles and safely visit all these fine establishments. Factotum’s setting, like so many in the Denver area, is an industrial one and the taproom ambiance will complement that setting with a rustic, factory, wood-and-metal atmosphere. However, this location means Factotum is lacking somewhat in natural light. Please visit Factotum’s Kickstarter.com page so that Christopher and Laura may make improvements to the taproom including the purchase of a glass-paneled garage door to bring sunshine into the brewery.